Flying for Fun
909 North Maize Road, Townhouse 734, Wichita, KS 67212
Editorial Comment:
One of the cardinal rules of journalism involves the difference between news and commentary. As an example: "Miss Melanie hosted a sixth birthday party last Sunday" is news; adding "and a good time was had by all" is no longer news but an editorial comment, since it expresses a personal opinion.
And a good time really was had by all!
AMA hosted the Celebration of Eagles at the national flying site in Muncie the first weekend of July 1996, and everyone had a fun-filled weekend. I was there and saw nothing but ear-to-ear smiles, heard nearly continuous laughter, and everyone I talked to raved about the really good time they were having!
Attempting to capture the spirit of that gathering is beyond my limited writing skills. I can, however, relate some personal highlights for you to consider:
- Maxwell Bassett showing up for the museum reception looking festive in red slacks, white shoes, a silk sport shirt, and a grin that outshone any flashbulb.
- Bill Brown responding to an award at the banquet by lifting a tiny CO2 engine out of his shirt pocket and running it into the microphone after saying, "I've been interested in model engines for a long time!"
- Steve Caster returning after retrieving his brand-new P-30 rubber model after experiencing his first thermal flight. The young man's feet never touched the ground as he walked back.
- The smiles on the faces of longtime Free Flighters such as Sal Taibi, Ed Dolby, Tom McCoy, and a host of others who had helped Caster trim the model.
- The faraway look in everyone's eyes when I asked if they remembered their own first thermal flight.
- Former Kansan and modeling contemporary Dale Kirn and I sharing a nostalgic rush while looking over the 1950s kits, engines, and supplies in the "hobby shop" section of the museum. It suddenly dawned on both of us that we couldn't afford most of that stuff when it was new, and most certainly can't now.
- Ted Strader and I comparing our reactions to being invited to the gathering. We agreed that when the invitations arrived we both felt someone had made a terrible mistake, but we'd quickly accept before they figured out we couldn't possibly belong there.
- Most importantly, the sheer joy of talking to people many of us have idolized for most of our lifetimes, of renewing longtime friendships, and of finally coming face to face with people we'd known only through letters and phone calls.
Modeling is a pretty good microcosm of the whole concept of democracy. Our hobby mixes the young with the old, the rich with the poor, the astronaut with the clerk, the famous with the ordinary, in such a way that these considerations are totally irrelevant. Modeling seems to transcend artificial divisions through the medium of having fun.
Happy and Proud:
I'm not old enough to have been involved in the early formative battles of the Academy, but I have been involved long enough to recall its postwar struggles.
I remember the years of last-minute donations from some members of the hobby industry to enable AMA to meet the monthly payroll. I well recall a handful of dedicated and poorly paid people working in decrepit rented office spaces, holding the Academy together with little more than optimism.
I recall an Academy dependent on the generosity of a publisher to include a section in his magazine so that the organization could maintain some line of monthly communication with its membership.
I've seen several "alternative" organizations come and go, always failing because their true interests did not lie with the membership, but with some selfish agenda.
I've attended many Nationals that were almost totally dependent on some other organization's generosity for facilities and manpower. Do you remember feeling like unwanted children or vagrants that were barely tolerated by the hosts? Never knowing from year to year whether the AMA would be invited back?
We've been compelled to host events of national and international importance on empty, run-down, weed- and critter-infested sites, simply because we were beggars with no home of our own.
Well, folks, we are no longer beggars! We own our own place. Compared to many of the previous Nationals venues, Muncie is paradise; it is fast becoming one of the premier flying facilities in the world. The incredibly hard work of a few dedicated people has paid off handsomely.
The bold red listing of "the Academy of Model Aeronautics National Museum and Flying Site" on a Rand-McNally road atlas may not seem like much to some, but it is a tremendous source of pride to many of us. Hey—look at us—we're legit!
And the museum! How many priceless pieces of modeling memorabilia have been trashed by widows and family simply because they knew of nowhere to donate them? No more. We now have a first-class, beautifully designed and arranged museum, full of priceless artifacts. Modeling's significant achievements are now on display for all to see. Those who supported this development with their time, energies, material donations, and financial help are owed a huge thank you.
The excitement and nearly overwhelming feelings of nostalgia and immense pride were running rampant in that facility during the Celebration. I'd be remiss if I failed to point out that the museum desperately needs to expand into the rest of that building (as planned) in order to display the many items now in storage. I must also mention how incredibly crowded the administrative and publication offices are. There is a tremendous need for another Butler building in Muncie. Frankly, it's time to be writing some tax-deductible checks, ladies and gentlemen.
Thanks for the Memories:
To the few who organized the Celebration of Eagles, be assured you have done a most significant service for the future well-being of the Academy.
I can't think of a better summary for that weekend than these two remembrances:
- "At the conclusion of the banquet we all stood and sang 'Auld Lang Syne.' Those appropriate words are uncomfortably close to reality, and there was not a dry eye in the house."
- "Walking out I bumped into Ted Strader and said, 'Ted, I think this has been the most delightful weekend I've ever spent in modeling.' He responded, 'I agree, but hope they don't want another 60 years to do this again, as I doubt I'll be able to attend.'"
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
